The 34 year old was just 10 when she was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, which is a chronic condition caused by inflammation of the digestive system.

Tracy has said that the condition has caused her persistent pain, digestive problems fatigue and affected her social life.

She has had to have surgeries in 1990, 2004, 2008 and 2010 and has had sections of her small intestine removed after they became inflamed.

After her most recent operation and changes in her medication she has felt a new lease of life and is planning to run the 10K section of the marathon festival. She is aiming to raise £500 and awareness about the condition that she suffers from.

“Since last year, my health has probably been better than it’s ever been,” she said. “I decided I would like to feel fit for a change. One of my friends was in a running club – Harmeny Pentland Runners – and suggested I might like to give it a shot and so I went along. I’ve been going for six months.

“I definitely feel a lot better these days. I sleep better and I feel fitter. I can climb the stairs without feeling knackered.”

Tracy is chairwoman of the Crohn’s and Colitis UK group in Edinburgh and says that the daily strain of living with these diseases is not just physical.

She said: “The disease has certainly been getting a lot more press coverage recently and you have celebrities who have come out to do publicity.

“But in day-to-day social life there’s still a lot of awkwardness – it’s not a pleasant subject for people to talk about.

“There’s stuff you just won’t want to do when you’re having a bad spell. I don’t always want to eat out in a restaurant because I’m not sure I’ll be able to eat something that won’t cause me problems later.

“I’m running in this race because I want to raise awareness of Crohn’s. A lot of people are still not comfortable talking about it and that needs to change.”

Vice president of Crohn’s and Colitis UK, Elaine Steven, said: “We are delighted to hear that Tracy is running in the Edinburgh Marathon Festival. This is clearly a great achievement for someone living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.”

]]>Mavisbank Country House deal agreedhttp://blog.cityvisitor.co.uk/edinburgh/2012/06/04/mavisbank-country-house-deal-agreed/
Mon, 04 Jun 2012 08:27:29 +0000http://blog.cityvisitor.co.uk/edinburgh/?p=37Continue reading →]]>An agreement has been made to protect the historic Mavisbank House in Midlothian.

The country house was the first palladian villa to be built in Scotland. It has been derelict since a fire swept through the house and caused serious damage almost 40 years ago.

The agreement is to be signed by Historic Scotland and Midlothian Council which will mean that they will compulsorily purchase the Category A property.

The two bodies then plan to transfer the ownership of Mavisbank House to a local trust.

The house was designed by William Adam in 1722 and is near the town of Bonnyrigg.

Historic Scotland has described it as one of the country’s most important houses due to its architectural heritage.

The fire in 1974 caused significant damage to the house but the Mavisbank Preservation Trust believe that the building can be restored.

The house is privately owned, but no one currently knows who the owners are.

]]>City engineer working in Tanzania to install running waterhttp://blog.cityvisitor.co.uk/edinburgh/2012/05/28/city-engineer-working-in-tanzania-to-install-running-water/
Mon, 28 May 2012 08:25:55 +0000http://blog.cityvisitor.co.uk/edinburgh/?p=35Continue reading →]]>A hospital in Tanzania that had no access to hot running water has been given a lifeline by Edinburgh engineer Dr Tom Grassie.

The 47 year old engineering lecturer from Edinburgh Napier University has spearheaded a project which uses scrap-metal from disused hospital beds to create a constant hot water supply.

The rural hospital Shirati helps a local population of 20,000 in an area where many people suffer from poverty, malaria and AIDS/HIV.

Every day hundreds of sheets have to be washed but they currently have to use water that is boiled over wood fires.

There is also no constant power supply at the hospital so the Shirati medics have to carry out emergency operations using the light from their mobile phones or torchlight.

Dr Grassie said: “When we were in Tanzania, we were trying to design a system to provide electric power for the operating room when we saw a number of bed frames, which had been made out of old pipes.

“With a little bit of jiggery pokery, we could turn them in to a small solar water heater and with the amount of sunshine Tanzania has all year round, it will go a long way to providing a hot water supply.”

His solar energy system will give the hospital constant electricity.

Dr Grassie said: “It was a hard place to visit. They had a relatively modern ultrasound machine, but on the other hand the labour room had a sloping wooden bed with wooden stirrups – there was still a lot of blood from the last delivery when we were there.

“Children died of dysentery during our visit. Because of the lack of power, medics cannot always cauterise during an operation, and the hospital cannot store blood or medicine because the generator keeps cutting out.

“But despite all this, the patients there were still very grateful and the staff dedicated. We’re hopeful this development will change people’s lives.”

Spokesman for the Shirati Hospital, Jo Magatti, said: “The situation in the theatre was dire. The new power system will transform the way our medics work.”

]]>Scottish National Portrait Gallery competing to be UK’s besthttp://blog.cityvisitor.co.uk/edinburgh/2012/05/21/scottish-national-portrait-gallery-competing-to-be-uk%e2%80%99s-best/
Mon, 21 May 2012 08:25:48 +0000http://blog.cityvisitor.co.uk/edinburgh/?p=33Continue reading →]]>The Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh is in one of four places in contention for Britain’s richest art prize after its £17.6 million revamp.

The gallery has fought off competition from the National Museum of Scotland and Glasgow’s new Riverside Museum to become a finalist for the Art Fund Prize. It was closed for two years during its dramatic refurbishment and is up against the George Frederic Watts Museum in Surrey, Barbara Hepworth gallery in Yorkshire and the redevelopment of Exeter’s main museum.

The winning museum or gallery will be awarded a £100,000 prize by the Art Fund charity. The refurbishment has increased the amount of gallery space by 50 per cent and has 17 separate spaces where the gallery’s 30,000-strong collection can be viewed.

Former director of the gallery James Holloway said: “Not only has this extraordinary Gothic building been brought beautifully to life, but the exhibition displays reveal an intelligent and thoughtful account of both the genre of portraiture, and the nature of Scottish identity.

“It’s certainly an impressive achievement, but whether it can beat off stiff competition from the other three outstanding contenders remains to be seen.”

Director-general of the National Galleries of Scotland, John Leighton, said: “We are thrilled to hear the Scottish National Portrait Gallery has been shortlisted for the Art Fund Prize this year.

“There have been some extra-ordinary developments in the museums and galleries across Scotland and the rest of the UK in the last year, and we are very pleased and honoured to make the shortlist in such a strong field.

“We tried to rethink what a portrait gallery could mean for people in the 21st century.

“It was important for us to refurbish the building and make it much more accessible and coherent for our visitors; but it was equally important for us to transform the way we present the collections, offering, we hope, a much more vivid and engaging portrait of Scotland past and present.”

]]>Grange street top of the rankingshttp://blog.cityvisitor.co.uk/edinburgh/2012/02/01/grange-street-top-of-the-rankings/
Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:34:05 +0000http://blog.cityvisitor.co.uk/edinburgh/?p=19Continue reading →]]>An Edinburgh street where the average home costs £1.5 million has been named as Scotland’s most expensive street.

Dick Place, in the Grange area of Edinburgh, was top of the list and 13 of the top 20 were also located in Scotland’s capital city. The majority of these addresses are in the New Town and Merchiston.

Residents of the Grange have said that there is still a community feel, despite the wealth in the popular Edinburgh area.

Kathleen King lives with her husband Howard Beck and children Zoe, 18, and 14-year-old Ben on Dick Place in a one-level sprawling property in. They have lived on the street for 13 years.

She said: “It’s quite a community-minded street, the people are very nice. I’ve lived in other parts of Edinburgh but this is great. There are a lot of elderly people but you wouldn’t know this was the most expensive street.

“There is a good mix of children who go to private school and those who go to state school. You’ve got a bit of everything, a few eccentrics – but then people might think we’re the eccentric ones.”

Teenager Zoe is an art student at Telford College and said: “It’s certainly great for trick-or-treating at Hallowe’en.

“You feel really safe growing up here, I think the only bad thing that’s ever happened was we found a woman who had escaped from hospital in our garden.”

Her brother Ben, is a pupil at nearby James Gillespie’s High School and added: “There used to be more young people about, now it seems to be more elderly folk. I like living here though, it’s good.”

]]>Locks shaved off to raise money for Cancer Researchhttp://blog.cityvisitor.co.uk/edinburgh/2012/01/25/locks-shaved-off-to-raise-money-for-cancer-research/
Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:33:29 +0000http://blog.cityvisitor.co.uk/edinburgh/?p=17Continue reading →]]>The majority of teenagers would find the idea of having their hair shaved off incredibly hair-raising, but 13-year-old Florence Clark decided to shave off her hair all in the name of charity.

“My friend at school, her cousin has just been diagnosed with skin cancer and we decided we would both get our heads shaved to raise money for Cancer Research UK.”

Even though her friend had to back out, she still decided to complete her pledge in the hopes of raising money for the cancer charity.

“In the end, my friend couldn’t do it, but I decided to go ahead.

“I really, really loved my hair, but I wanted to raise money for charity more than anything.”

The student at St Thomas of Aquins High School went to get her head shaved at the International Barbers in Dalry, where her Dad, Graham, gets his hair cut.

51 year old Graham, a professional photographer, uploaded a 12 minute video of the charity event to YouTube.

“Everyone at school has been really supportive and have said I’ve been really brave. I’m glad that I did it.”

Florence has already raised £120, but is hoping to raise a lot more.

“It was quite weird being in the barbers’ shop, but I had all my friends there.

“I think I would do it again, it was fun and I hope the money will make a difference.”

Florence’s Dad said: “I’m really proud of her.

“The barbers’ shop is a really male environment. I did wonder if it would be suitable and if the barber would be annoyed at having six kids there taking photos of Florence.

“But he was really good and he cut her hair free of charge.

“I decided to film it and put it up on YouTube because I thought it would make a nice memento for Florence, and also all the people that had sponsored her could watch it.”

Cancer Research UK’s head of patient liaison, Martin McGlown, said: “We’re very impressed that Florence has raised more than £100 following her sponsored head-shave.

“It’s not often we hear about girls of this age shaving their hair off for charity, so Florence must have been really determined to do something meaningful to support her friend’s cousin. We are very grateful for the support.”

]]>Going the extra mile in 2012 for friendhttp://blog.cityvisitor.co.uk/edinburgh/2012/01/18/going-the-extra-mile-in-2012-for-friend/
Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:32:48 +0000http://blog.cityvisitor.co.uk/edinburgh/?p=15Continue reading →]]>Friends Brian Taylor and Roz Currie are taking on a mammoth fundraising challenge on water, foot, and bike, across four countries and two continents to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

The pair will be completing 12 events in 12 months in 2012 after being inspired by their friend, 33-year-old Anders Gibson, who suffers from the life-threatening disease.

Five of the events will take place in Edinburgh and they will also compete in the Chicago half-marathon in America.

“I met Anders through a youth event when we were 12 years old and we’ve been friends since then. I have seen him deteriorate over that time.

“When he was 12, he had physio and took pills but he could pretty much run around like a normal 12-year-old boy. Now he can’t run around at all. He can’t spend too long walking around outside because it can take its toll.”

The “12 in 12 in 2012 challenge” will start with the Edinburgh Great Winter Run (5k).

Their next fundraising event will be the “ultimate gym class challenge” on 3rd February, where they will complete six hours of gym classes, from body pump to spinning, at Fitness First on Glasgow’s Cathcart Road.

Brian said: “We’ll do it in fancy dress with leotards and I’ll probably be looking slightly ridiculous in a 70s moustache.”

On 25th March they will complete the Bradford 10k and then on 7th April they will complete one of their biggest challenges, canoeing the length of Lake Windermere. They will then take part in the 10k Great Manchester Run on 20th May before they cycle from Glasgow to Islay in June.

In July, Brian and Roz will take on the Three Peaks Challenge Snowdon in Wales, Scafell Pike in England and Ben Nevis in Scotland and then cycle in the Glasgow to Edinburgh Bike Ride in August.

The Chicago half-marathon is on 9th September and then the Great Edinburgh Run (10k) in October.

Roz, 31, said: “I’m looking forward to the challenge but I’m carrying an injury at the moment.”

Their last event will be the Great Edinburgh Santa Run in December.

]]>Big honour for pint-sized Ronnie Corbetthttp://blog.cityvisitor.co.uk/edinburgh/2012/01/11/big-honour-for-pint-sized-ronnie-corbett/
Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:32:39 +0000http://blog.cityvisitor.co.uk/edinburgh/?p=13Continue reading →]]>Edinburgh born performer Ronnie Corbett has been recognised in the Queen’s New Year Honours list where his OBE that he received in 1978 has been upgraded to a CBE.

The pint sized comedy legend shot to fame with Ronnie Barker as one of the much loved Two Ronnies. Ronnie Barker was also awarded an OBE in 1978, but passed away in 2005.

81 year old Corbett is a keen golfer and has been a favourite on British television since the 1950s.

Ronnie Corbett has appeared in Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s series Extras and in the popular Matt Lucas and David Walliams show Little Britain. He also filled in for Sir Bruce Forsyth on an episode of Strictly Come Dancing in 2009.

He has done a lot of work for charities including the RNLI, Comic Relief and other causes.

Corbett, who has a home in East Lothian, started his career in showbusiness after service in the RAF, where he was the smallest officer because of his 5ft, one-and-a-half inch stature.

Corbett first worked with Barker on The Frost Report and the pair were given their own show in 1971. It ran until 1987 and included many famous sketches including the “four candles/fork handles” routine and their spoof news items which ended with their well known sign-off, “It’s a goodnight from me and it’s a goodnight from him.”

Corbett and his wife Ann Hart were married in 1965 and they have two daughters; Emily and Sophie.

]]>Edinburgh Studentshttp://blog.cityvisitor.co.uk/edinburgh/2011/07/29/edinburgh-students/
Fri, 29 Jul 2011 08:20:02 +0000http://blog.cityvisitor.co.uk/edinburgh/?p=29Continue reading →]]>As with many cities, Edinburgh University and its students are at the heart of the city and its character.

Famous names to have passed through the university include former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, author of Origin of the Species Charles Darwin, former MI5 director Stella Rimington and Dr Piers Sellers, the third Briton to go into space.

In 2011 the university celebrated the 70th anniversary of its Polish School of Medicine. The school was set up during the war to allow Polish students to finish their medical education in the city after the invasion of Poland. The school ran until 1949 and awarded more than 240 diplomas and degrees. A link with Poland remains to this day and reunions with Poland are held every five years. The Polish School of Medicine Memorial Fund provides scholarships for Polish doctors and scientists to do research in Edinburgh.

Edinburgh University has its own museums and galleries. In the Centre for Research Collections there are rare books, manuscripts, theses and historical records. The Talbot Rice gallery is open to the public and displays historical paintings and contemporary art.The university boasts the oldest purpose-built student union in the world. Teviot Row House has five bars and seven floors.

Edinburgh University was founded in 1583 and was originally called King James College.

The Edinburgh College of Art, founded in 1907, is merging with Edinburgh University in 2011. The city centre college offers courses in art, design, architecture and landscape architecture at undergraduate, postgraduate and research degree level. It has around 1,700 students.

]]>Edinburgh Castlehttp://blog.cityvisitor.co.uk/edinburgh/2011/07/22/edinburgh-castle/
Fri, 22 Jul 2011 08:18:12 +0000http://blog.cityvisitor.co.uk/edinburgh/?p=27Continue reading →]]>Castle Rock, where Edinburgh Castle sits, was created by volcanic activity in around 340million BC. Archaeologists have found evidence of humans at the site at around 900 BC. The first evidence of an actual castle type structure at the rock is from around AD 600.

David I built a castle on the rock in around 1130. The only part of this remaining today is a chapel dedicated to his mother Queen Margaret inside the castle walls.

In 1296 England invaded Scotland and captured the castle, the Scots reclaimed it in 1314, the English claimed it back in 1334 and the Scots reclaimed it in 1341.

Mary Queen of Scots gave birth to her son in the castle in 1566. This was the future King James VI of Scotland.

Between 1574 and 1578 the castle was rebuilt and the Half-Moon Battery and Portcullis Gate were added.

The castle was redeveloped between 1887 and 1891.

The first Edinburgh Military Tattoo was held at Edinburgh Castle in 1950.

The Stone of Destiny was returned to Scotland and put on display in the castle in 1996.
Today the castle holds the title as the city’s most popular attraction, with more than 1.25 million visitors every year. Costume performances take place in the castle regularly with re-enactments of some of the castle’s events in history.

The Great Hall is one of its many highlights, along with The Honours of Scotland – the nation’s crown jewels. The National War Museum Scotland is also at the castle site.